I thought that I might have to use an older photo for this week’s entry at I♥faces, but Corrigan cooperated by falling sound asleep on his floor this past week. I do not have too many photos of Corrigan sleeping because, really, who pokes sleeping lions with sharp sticks?

*puts camera down and slowly backs away from the sleeping baby*

I have mentioned Project Linus in the past ( on the old blog ) and I am still a huge fan of the program.

On Christmas Eve, 1995, an article titled “Joy to the World” appeared in Parade Magazine. It was written by Pulitzer Prize winning photo-journalist, Eddie Adams. Part of the article featured a petite, downy haired child. She had been going through intensive chemotherapy and stated that her security blanket helped her get through the treatments. After reading the article, Karen Loucks decided to provide homemade security blankets to Denver’s Rocky Mountain Children’s Cancer Center, and Project Linus was born.

In the above photo Corrigan is snuggled up with his Project Linus blankie that he received on his last emergency transfer to John’s Hopkins hospital. Each time he was transferred from Cumberland to Baltimore, I would race down behind the ambulance or helicopter and arrive to find him surrounded by nurses, students and a new Project Linus blanket in his lap.

Sadly, we have several of these love-made blankets but this pink- purple-blue-white blankie is, by far, his most favorite.

I remember when I walked into his hospital room and saw him sleeping, covered with this blanket and thought,

“Crimeny, why did they give him a girl colored blanket?”

(grateful heart I have, right? Sheesh)

And, because God likes to tease me, of course Corrigan took this as his favorite blankie in the whole wide world.

Corrigan loves that he can weave his fingers in and out of the loops and, even now, he enjoys tossing it over his own head and walking around dangerously.

*note to Corrigan- the blanket has thumb-sized holes. When you toss the blanket over your head…feel free to look through the holes as you toddle all over the house like a drunken, easter egg-colored ghost. *

Irony is that he really does carry it around like Linus..

I will find him sitting, watching a video with the blanket slung over his shoulder, or walking all around the house, dragging it behind him…through the decorative super hygenic dog hair that I leave laying around (ha!), shoving the corners into his mouth when his teeth hurt and clinging fiercely to it while sleeping.

It comes with us, without fail, to every clinic visit, to every hospital stay (all local now, woot!) and any car trip. It smells like his medicine no matter how many times I wash it (pee eww! but hooray for meds that save his life every day!), the ends are fraying ( I knot them frantically each time I find one, praying it will not come unraveled) and I am pretty sure there are boogers in that thing, but it is the most special thing in his life.

If anyone I know needed a “lovey” it would be Corrigan.

How awesome that these sweet friends take the time to knit, quilt and stitch thousands of blankets for little ones that find themselves scared, hurt and sick in hospitals across the country. You can feel the love that is put into each and every blanket. I wouldn’t want to part with any of the Project Linus blankets that Corrigan has been given. Except, perhaps, to his own babies one day when they are old enough to understand how very very special they are.

There will be babies.

Lord willing, they will never need a Project Linus blanket. Lord willing, there would never EVER be a need for another Project Linus blanket again…but until that prayer is answered there will be amazing , selfless people creating these “lovies” and delivering them to hospitals all across the country.

And now…now when I look at that “girl” colored blanket I see nothing but a blanket…the most special blanket in the whole wide world.

Related

Post navigation

48 thoughts on “i ♥ faces : Week 48 – “Sweet Dreams” Photo Challenge”

This is a precious picture for sure! : ) I LOVE your analogy about poking lions with sticks. SO funny : ) This project seems like a beautiful thing. I love when people reach out and help others. That is always wonderful! Hope your week with your sweet sleeping angel is a blessing! : )

Oh Wow, what an amazing story. Project Linus sounds like such a blessing!
And don’t worry, my little boy has taken a liking to my bright pink shirt! He loves to snuggle with it and sleeps with it now. It’s pink! =) Oh well!
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a comment! It’s nice to meet you!

Thank you so much for stopping by… I came by to say hi and I have to say I love your sense of humor and storytelling ability… such a visual: a drunken Easter-egg…. and the “super” hygenic dog hair… love it. And Corrigan is just beautiful. Thank you for sharing with all of us.

It’s great when a child can have something that gives him the ability to comfort himself. Things like blankets, a stuffed animal, nukies, even sucking a thumb are indications of a child’s attempt to self comfort.

Oh the joy of a sleeping toddler, and when they are cutely clutching a blanket, even more. I liked learning about project linus. Very heartwarming. Best of luck with your beautiful child, may all good health be his (and yours, too!).

Thanks for visiting my WW post ‘Not Happy Mum’. This is such a lovely post. I’m the opposite to you, there are so many photos of my little Charlotte when She is sleeping. So far, the flash doesn’t disturb her.